The Government rethink plans to reduce planning rules to help the economy

Posted: 01/08/2012

It is believed that George Osborne and his allies are considering loosening the rules further to encourage building to try and stimulate the UK’s economy. However, it is thought that Eric Pickles and fellow ministers who are responsible for planning regulations oppose the further reduction of planning rules.

Earlier in the year Minister’s were forced to reduce their plans to reduce the planning restraints and legal protections for the countryside. This caused one of the largest battles of the Coalition Government.

Figures that were released last week showed that the UK’s economy has continued to drop in the second quarter of the year and is now smaller than when the Coalition Government came to power in 2010, which may force a rethink of the reduction of planning rules.

The Government has already revised the planning laws earlier this year by releasing the new National Planning Policy Framework which simplified rules on new construction. The original plans to reduce the planning rules and legal protections for the countryside came against string opposition from many environmental groups including the National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

There were many areas across the country that came under threat of development if the planning rules were reduced. These were highlighted by The Telegraphs Hands Off Our Land campaign and include; the plans for 7 410ft turbines by E.ON in Winwick, Northamptonshire, a new incinerator plant including 85 metre high stacks at Chieveley, North Wessex Downs in Berkshire, the Missenden valley in Buckinghamshire came under threat from the HS2 project, the Cotswolds could have had a major motorway service station built on it as part of the M5 and the Kent Downs was threatened by the expansion of Lydd Airport.

Do you believe that the country would greatly benefit if the Government reduced the planning rules and protection of the countryside or do you think it would be foolish to loose the UK’s beautiful countryside to developments.